Wire spoke



H. J. COOK WIRE SPOKE March 23 1926.

Filed July 6, 1922 Patented Mar. 23,

EUhEEEFa sra'rus PATEN T FF I-(l E HARMON J'. COOK, OF TORRINGTON,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TORRINGTON COMPANY, OF TORIRINGTON,CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

WIRE

Application filed July 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Harmon J. Coon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Torrington, in the county of Litchfield, State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in fireSpokes, of which the following is a description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, and to the figures of reference markedthereon.

My invention relates to improvements in spokes used in the constructionof wire wheels for use on automobiles or other vehicles. 7

For the purpose of increasing the efiiciency and life of a wheelconstructeduof wire spokes, many improvements have been made, moreparticularly, however, in the manner of connecting the head of the spoketo the hub, to prevent pulling out or breaking off due tocrystallization or strain. It has been found however, that even whenimprovements of such nature are provided, the element known as wirefatiguedue to constant vibration-will cause the spoke to give wayusually at the base of the spoke head. This wire fatigue is due to thecontinuous and rapid vibrations all being concentrated at the one pointwhich, as said above, is at the base of the spoke head.

I have discovered that by dissipating these vibrations overan extended.surface, the life of a spoke can be indefinitely ex tended.

I have therefore devised various .forms of spokes having taperedportions formed throughout their lengths and merging into the straightportions, whereby the vibrational strains are spread over an extendedsurface and not" confined to one point.

The invention, therefore, consists in its broadest and simplest form ofa spoke having at some portion of its length a tapered section ofappreciable length which merges intothe remaining portion of the spoke,which is made in the usual manner.

Various ways of carrying out my invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a spoke embodying oneform of my invention;

Fig. 2 another form;

Fig. 3 another form; and

Fig. 4 still another form.

In Fig, 1, the head of the spoke l is SPOKE.

1922. Serial No. 573,196.

of the so-called button head type. From the point 2 to the point 3, thespoke has astraight sectionthat is the butt. It then tapers to the pointt. It has an extended straight section from t to 5, then from the point5 to 6 tapers upwardly, and

then is straight to the threaded or nipple end.

Fig. 2 illustrates a spoke like that shown in'Fig. l, except'that thetaper head is used instead of the button head.

In Fig. 3, the head 1 is of the button type'and there is no straightportion of butt adjacent the head, but the taper begins at the base ofthe head 2, extends to the point 3 from which point is the long straightsection to the point 4;, then the spoke is tapered upwardly to thenipple end.

The spoke shown in Fig. 4 is like that shown in Fig. 3, except that thehead is tapered, the taper extending from the base 2 of the head to thepoint 3, then there is the long straight portion to at, and the upwardtaper to the nipple end.

It will be seen that in all these forms, there is embodied the elongatedstraight or body portion of the spoke that is of the same diameterthroughout its extent, and tapered portions adjacent the straightportion and merging into it, said tapered portions being elongated butrelatively shorter than the body portion thereof.

The distinguishing feature of the invention or development is the longgradual slope between head and blade diameters. The effect is that withthe long taper swage with gradual slope, the vibrations occurring inspokes in actual use on the road will deflect from each end of the spokeand more particularly the head or larger end where such vibrations nowoccur, to the center of the spoke and thus be distributed over an areasuflicient to prevent such concentration of vibration at a particularpoint in the spoke which causes the so-called wire fatigue.

The life of the spoke is materially lengthened by such distribution ofvibration or avoidance of its concentration.

In fact-,tests have shown an increase of several thousand per cent inthe life of spokes constructed in accordance with my invention,

I do not wish to be restricted so far as the oad feature of my inventionis concerned,

' to the particular construction shown in the drawings by way ofillustration, it being only essential to the same in its broadest aspectthat there be a tapering section between the end and blade sections, andwhether the tapered section be adjacent one or the other end, oradjacent both, or located directly adjacent either actual end, isimmaterial.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A wire spoke having a central midlength section of small and uniformdiameter, terminal portions of a large diameter, ant gradually taperingsections extending from the enlarged terminal portions to said centralsection or midlength.

A wire spoke having at one end an enlarged terminal portion which isheaded, a main body length, the central section of which is ofrelatively small. and uniform diameter, said body length being graduallytapered from its juncture with said enlarged terminal portion toward themidlength.

3. A wire spoke having a head at one end, an enlarged terminal portionat the opposite end, a main.body length, the midlength of which is ofsmall and uniform diameter, said body length being gradually tapered 3from its juncture with said enlarged termi nal portion toward saidmidlength.

4. A wire spoke having a central section of reduced diameter, a pair ofgradually tapered sections connected to said central section, a pair ofend sections connected to said tapered sections, one of said endsections being threaded for a portion of its length to be engaged by anipple for tightening the spoke, the other end of said spoke being bentat an angle and having a head for the purpose of engaging in a socket inthe rimot a wheel.

5. A wire spoke having enlarged terminal portions of uniform diameter,one of which is bent and headed and the other of which is threaded, anda main body length intermediate the enlargements, said body length beinggradually tapered in both directions from its juncture with saidenlarged por- 5 tions toward the midlength of said body length.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa ture.

HARMON J. COOK.

